christopher



(Ramon 1. V 2Sheets.Sheet 1.

J. H. CHRISTOPHER;

GATE.

Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

( Modem 2 'She ets-Shee't;2.

' J. H. CHRISTOPHER.

GATE.

Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

Wane am Tm: uonms PEttRs 00. w

UNITE.

JAMES H. CHRISTOPHER, OF MORRISONVILLE, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,154, dated April 23, 1895. Application filed October 225, 1894:- Serial No. 527,086- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

new and usefulImprovements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in gates; and the object of the same is to provide an improved means for opening and closing them by persons in vehicles without alighting therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to providean improved means for bracing the gate so as to prevent sagging, and further to so brace the bearing in which the gate turns as to always hold it in proper position.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved gate. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same when open. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the gate swinging arms.

A designates the gate and B the post or box from which it swings. On the rear end of the gate is an upright C which at its lower end is journaled in a support projected from the bottom of the said post or box, while the upper end of said standard is journaled in the horizontal arm D projected from and movable longitudinally through the post or box B as shown. A suitable support 6 within thepost holds the arm in proper position while the projected stops 1) on said arm engage the sides of the box or post B and prevent the arm from being drawn backward beyond the point for holding the gate standard in a vertical position. The rear end of arm D is connected by a twisted wire to the post E which latter alsoserves as a brace for the post or box B and by keeping the said wire twisted the arm may be held in a backwardly drawn position at all times and the gate bearing thus kept true.

The gate which may be constructed of any material is here shown formed of metallic parallel rods mounted in a frame of ordinary construction but the same differs from the usual gate in that no diagonal brace is employed, but in its stead I provide the upwardly bowed truss F which is'secured at its ends to thejopposite ends of the gate and at its upwardly bowed center to the center upright A. A wire G connects the forward end of the gate with its upper pivot as shown and by twisting this wire and keeping it stretched the gate may be held permanently from sagging. The described truss also assists materially in accomplishing the same end.

Secured to the truss F near its center and extending therefrom toward the rear end of the gate is the bar H and secured to the rear end ofsaid bar is the cross arm I. Pivoted to the extremities of this cross arm, upon its upper and lower sides respectively are the levers J which extend inward across the top of the gate as shown, and from the freeends of these levers extend the wires K to the op-- erating levers K. The upper ends of said operating levers are directly connected by line K. Levers J extend diagonally across the gate and are curved forward slightly at their free ends so that the pull exerted on either line K for opening the gates will not be upon a dead center. Each lever J is connected by means of a short chain L to the link 0 which is pivoted in a depression in bar H and said link is connected by means of line P to the upright spring latch Q carried by the free end of the gate, said latch being'adapted to engage the catch R of the post S.

In operation when either of the levers K is approached and its upper end swung outward the line K on the opposite side of the gate will be drawn outward and the pull will tend to straighten lever J which in turn will exert a backward pull on the latch connection and release it from the post S. As the gate swings open its latch is engaged by the catch T on the side rail U and in this position the gate is held until the vehicle has passed through and the other lever K is then operated which in the manner before described will release the latch from said side catch and return the gate to a closed position.

The rails U are arranged on each side of the post or box B and serve to brace the same as well as to support the catches T.

The link 0 forms a positive connection between the latch operating line and the short chain extending from levers J and in this way a positive pull is exerted upon the spring latch. The normal position of the latch being outward or away from the gate end it will be seen that the levcrsJ will be normally drawn outward or in a position for being operated by line K.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a swinging gate, the arm I secured between its ends to the gate, the cross levers pivoted at their rear extremities to the ends of the cross arm, thelines for operating the levers, the chains extended forward from the levers, the pivoted link to which the chains are connected, and the spring latch connected to the link, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a gate, a gate post, a slidable arm in the post to formabearing for the upper side of the gate, and a brace line leading from the arm to an anchor, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a gate, a gate post, the arm slidable through the post to form a bearing for the upper side of the gate, a second post, and a wire leading from the arm to the said second post which is adapted to be twisted for adjusting the said arm, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. CHRISTOPHER.

Witnesses:

O. A. WYCKOFF, J. H. EDWARDS. 

